Trolley-hanger.



W. SCHAAKE.

TROLLEY HANGER.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 30.1915

Patented Feb. 11, 1919.

- INVENTOR WIN/am Schaa/(e WITNESSES:

ATTORN EY WILLIAM SCI-IAAKE, OF PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIG-NOR TO WESTINGHOUSE ELECTRIC AND MANUFACTURING COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

TROLLEY-I-IANGER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 11, 1919.

Application filed June 30, 1915. Serial No. 37,241.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM SCHAAKE, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Pittsburgh, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Trolley- Hangers, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to hangers for the overhead trolley wires of electric railways and for other electric conductors, and it has for its object to provide a simple and effective clamping device which may be manufactured at low cost and which may be quickly and easily placed in operative position.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a transverse vertical sectional view taken substantially along the line I-I, Fig. 2, and showing a flexlble catenary hanger constructed in accordance with my invention, and Fig- 2 is a side elevational view, with parts broken away, of the hanger shown in Fig. 1.

The device shown in the drawing consists of two jaw plates 1 and 2 of sheet material, preferably of sheet steel, which are adapted to clamp a trolley conductor 3, the clamping action being produced by a pair of clamps 4 which are forced together by means of bolts 5 provided with nuts 6 and washers 7. I prefer to employ two of the bolts 5, which may be ordinary carriage bolts, and the jaws 1 and 2 and the clamps 4' are provided with corresponding openings to receive the bolts, one of such openings being shown at 8 in Fig. 2.

The trolley conductor 3 may be of any usual cross-sectional form, and the shape of the jaw members 1 and 2 may be varied to conform to the exact shape of the trolley conductor.

The clamping device just described is shown applied to a catenary hanger comprising a strap 9 adapted to be suspended from a messenger cable 10 by means of a loop 11 which is closed by means of a clamp or ring 12, in the usual manner. The depending end of the strap 9 is clamped between the jaws land 2 and is retained in this position by means of semi-circular notches 13 which receive the bolts 5 when the device is assembled.

It has heretofore been customary to provide hangers of the present type with clamps made in one piece and to employ a single bolt or screw for producing the clamping action. The jaws generally used for catenary hangers are made of malleable iron. Such malleable iron clamping jaws are not satisfactory for use in high-speed installations, since it is not possible to produce a malleable iron casting having the wireclamping portion suiiiciently thin to avoid interference with trolley wheels This is especially disadvantageous on curves. It is also found that the metal in the malleable iron jaws is frequently of such inferior quality that breakage occurs at these points when the line is in operation.

According to my present invention, the use of sheet metal in the clamping jaws 1 and 2 imparts maximum strength together with minimum thickness, and the malleable iron clamping portions 4 can be made of such thickness that good castings are insured at every point.

It will be noted that the structure described above may be manufactured at very low cost, since no drilling or tapping is required, as in the majority of catenaryhangers, and substantially the only machine work necessary consists in punching and forming the sheet metal jaw plates. Furthermore, no expensive dies are required, such as would be necessary if the whole jaw were made in a single stamping.

The foregoing structure is not restricted in its use to catenary hangers, but is equally applicable to clamping ears, which are now commonly made from malleable iron. jaws provided with countersunk machine screws.

While I have shown a desirable and effective embodiment of my invention, it is to be understood that my invention is not restrict ed to the structural details which I have shown and described but that it is limited only by the scope of the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. A wire hanger comprising a sheet-metal member having opposing lips for gripping a trolley wire, clamping members engaging said lips for forcing the said wire-gripping members into engagement with the wire, and means for imparting clamping action to the said clamping members.

2. A wire hanger comprising a pair of sheet-metal members having opposing lips for gripping a trolley wire, a pair of castmetal clamping members adapted to engage said lips and to force them toward each other, and means for imparting clamping action to the said clamping members;

3. A wire hanger comprising a pair of sheet-metal wire-gripping members, a pair of clamping members adapted to engage the said gripping members and to force them toward each other, and a plurality of bolts extending through, the said wire-gripping members and the said clamping members and adapted to hold the said members together.

i. A wire hanger comprising a pair of sheet-metal wire-gripping members, a pair of clamping members adapted to force the said wire-gripping members into engagement with the wire, a plurality of bolts extending, through the said wire-gripping members and the said clamping members, and a suspension member disposed between the said wire-gripping members and provided with retaining notches cooperating with the said bolts.

5, A catenary trolley hanger comprising a pair of sheet-metal wire gripping members, a pair of cast-metal clamping members adapted to force the said wire-gripping members into engagement with the wire, a plurality of bolts extending through the said Wire-gripping members and the said Copies of this patent may be obtained for clamping members, and a flexible suspension member adapted for suspension from a messenger cable and disposed between the said wire-gripping members, the said suspension member being provided with retaining notches adjacent to the said bolts and conforming to their shape.

6. A wire hanger comprising agripping member having two readily-separable parts arranged with the sides parallel and respectively provided with opposing lips for engaging a trolley wire, clamping members bearing upon said l'ips for holding the same into engagement with said trolley wire,v and means for tightening said clamping members,

7.v A. wire hanger comprising a gripping member having substantially parallel sides and opposing lips. for gripping the trolley Wire, clamping members adapted to force said lips together,.bolts passing through said clamping members and said gripping member for drawing said clampin members together, and. a suspension meniber extending between the sides of said gripping member and secured by said bolts.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name this 21st day of June,

WILLIAM SCHAAKE.

five cents each, by addressing" the Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. 0." 

